Madeline K. Sofia
Madeline Sofia is the host of Short Wave — NPR's daily science podcast. Short Wave will bring a little science into your life, all in about 10 minutes. Sometimes it'll be a good story, a smart conversation, or a fun explainer, but it'll always be interesting and easy to understand. It's a break from the relentless news cycle, but you'll still come away with a better understanding of the world around you.
Before hosting Short Wave, Sofia hosted the NPR video show "Maddie About Science." The show takes viewers behind the scenes with scientists, revealing their motivations and sharing their research — from insect mimics to space probes headed for the sun. Sofia also co-developed the worldwide NPR Scicommers program, which supports scientists interested in building their communication skills.
Before working at NPR, Sofia received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Rochester Medical Center. She studied Vibrio cholerae, a fascinating bacterium that has haunted the human race.
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The tardigrade, a strange animal smaller than a grain of sand and with hooks for feet, can survive in a dried-up state for a decade. Its secret might help improve how drugs are shipped and stored. -
Frogs are unmatched in their speed and ability to catch prey. It's all about their super-soft tongue and specialized saliva, say researchers, who got saliva to test by scraping frogs' tongues. -
Scientists have created an experimental device that putters around inside the stomach, neutralizing acid and then delivering antibiotics. The goal is to help the antibiotics work better. -
A paper version of a spinning children's toy can replace laboratory centrifuges to process blood tests. The "paperfuge" may help diagnose malaria and other diseases.
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Early stages of dinosaur development remain a mystery. However, researchers have uncovered a new way to study dino development using the teeth of fossilized embryos. -
Hip humans aren't the only ones growing outrageous facial hair. Some chickens do, too. And now, geneticists in China have discovered the cause. -
Most antibiotics can't tell the difference between good and bad bacteria. That means medicines can kill helpful bacteria in your gut while they're obliterating the ones making you sick. -
Researchers discovered ancient "beer-making tool kits" in underground rooms built between 3400 and 2900 B.C. Analyses of funnels, pots and jugs show the brewers were using pretty advanced techniques.
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Eggs are among the strongest structures in nature. Watch this video by the eggheads at Joe's Big Idea to find out why!
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Scientists identified two genetic variants that make it more likely that a woman will give birth to fraternal twins. Knowing this might help develop safer fertility treatments.
